Music department deals with burglary

The Paradise Police Department filed a Paradise High School burglary report on Aug. 6, reporting over 35 items stolen, mostly from the chorus and theater rooms.

Sam Gronseth, Paradise High School's chorus teacher for the past couple of years, said his department suffered the greatest monetary loss from the burglary.

"Probably from this room alone around $10,000, and then from the theater $2,500, maybe a little more," Gronseth said.

He said he is eagerly looking forward to the items being replaced so he can begin teaching his class how to use the sound equipment before their first performance on Nov. 19.

"We want to make sure that equipment is here and ready before the performances, because we have students running that equipment," Gronseth said. "It isn't like a professional can just jump in and know what to do already, you have to start them out and that takes maybe a month or so."

He submitted an itemized list to the district office about three weeks ago, and from there the district will work with the insurance company on recovering the monetary loss. One big problem for the school will be dealing with the high deductible with the insurance company.

"I'm not sure what the total taken from both rooms was, but if it was $15,000, we might get two thirds of that back, that would be good," he said.

Many of the items taken from the chorus room were older, but they were still vital for chorus performances. Oftentimes, Gronseth said, insurance companies look at how old the items were and depreciate the value.

"There are new mixer boards, but that was the one we used - it may have been 12 years old, but that doesn't mean it isn't a mixer board," he said.

The drama department had recently purchased new equipment, so the items stolen from that room had not depreciated as much in value.

"The theater hadn't been updated probably since 1975, so this was a huge update," he explained. "(The equipment) had only been in there maybe eight or nine months."

The school is looking to make many new security improvements to ensure another burglary doesn't occur.

"Already they have put those metal shields on the doors," Gronseth said. "What they did to break in was to take a big screwdriver and pry the door open enough to be able to get a card in."

The school is also adding cameras, additional security, and installing alarms in some rooms, including the chorus and theater rooms, he continued.

He mentioned that most of the items stolen were donated to the school from outside parties.

"I would say probably 80 percent of the stuff we purchased was (with) donated (money)," Gronseth said. "We really don't have much of a budget at all. When the fundraising stuff gets stolen, it makes it all the more difficult."

Anyone with information about the stolen items is encouraged to contact the Paradise Police Department at 872-6241.